Snapshots
by peppermint quartz
Summary: Little snapshots of moments in Shikamaru's and Temari's lives. All short stories or drabbles, all ShikaTema.
1. Insults are Fun

A/N: NARUTO and its characters are not mine. Borrowing Shikamaru and Temari for this little scene.

X x X x X x X x X x

"You're still not done with marking?"

Shikamaru looked up from the badly written composition he had to correct. "No. I do have five classes of atrocious homework to correct, if you haven't noticed."

"Might go faster if you're more hardworking," said Temari, leaning on the jamb of the door.

"Might go faster if you'll chip in to help," countered Shikamaru, returning to his work. He heard her settling into a chair beside him and the shuffle of papers as she picked up a stack.

After fifteen minutes of blessed silence – with only the scratching of pens on paper – she spoke. "You're lazy."

"You're bossy," he zinged back without rancor.

"Slacker."

"Dictator."

"Lazybones."

"Tomboy."

"I'm still waiting for my book."

"Keep on waiting," said Shikamaru, moving onto his second class of pupils. "I'm not buying a limited edition coffee table book on fans and fan designs."

"Cheapskate."

"Gold-digger."

Temari turned around in her chair. "Say again?"

Shikamaru put down his stack and gazed at her directly. "Gold-digger."

She had a half-smile, half-exasperated grimace on her face. "If I'm a bossy gold-digger, why do you still like me?"

"Who said I liked you?" Shikamaru raised an eyebrow, eyes half-lidded.

She placed a hand on his right hip. "You got a tattoo that says otherwise?"

"I sometimes like things that are not good for me," Shikamaru stated primly.

"Shut up." She punched his arm playfully and went on marking.

"Troublesome woman," he muttered under his breath as he swiveled back to his work.

Temari yelled, "Aha! I win!"

Shikamaru then realized what he had just said and slapped his forehead. "Damn!"

She got out of her chair and leaned against his desk. "So which restaurant are you treating me to tonight?"

He glared at her sternly. She only grinned wickedly. He protested, "This game isn't fair to me. You know I always say that."

"And yet," she nodded sympathetically, "I just can't seem to care."

"You're evil." He got up and put his arms about her, his breath warm on her skin.

She pouted invitingly. "That's because you like things that aren't good for you."

X x X x X x X x X x


	2. One Hour Away

X x X x X x X x X x

When Temari heard Asuma had passed away, she had to find a quiet corner to sit down.

Not to cry. Never to cry.

But she sat for an hour, just breathing steadily, just not-thinking, just letting everything wash past her.

She didn't know him well, of course. It wasn't as if they had ever worked together.

At the end of the one hour she got up and went into the storeroom in their house and dug through the boxes in storage.

X x X x X x X x X x

Shikamaru signed for the item and took the small courier package into his bedroom.

It had been sent by express delivery; she had paid for it herself.

When he tore the box open he almost smiled, despite the lump in his throat.

Placing the object on his table, he wrote a short thank-you note to send to Temari tomorrow.

X x X x X x X x X x

Chouji came to pass Shikamaru the books he had asked to borrow. When he got into the shadow-nin's room, Chouji could still smell the acrid scent of cigarettes lingering in the small space. He could also see the black ashtray that held all the cigarette butts.

It hadn't been there yesterday.

"Temari?" Chouji asked as Shikamaru stacked the books neatly on a shelf.

Shikamaru handed him the previous stack he borrowed from the Akamichi family library. "Temari."

X x X x X x X x X x


	3. He said, She said

X x X x X x X x X x

When he said he liked his coffee black and bitter, she decided to add a lot of cream and sugar before serving.

When she said she liked soothing music, he chose the loudest heavy metal band he could find in the store for her birthday.

When he said he liked classical art, she sent him an abstract print that gave him nightmares.

When she said she liked dancing the night away, he took her museum-hopping.

When he said he liked plain porridge when he had a cold, she made him spicy curry.

When she said she liked vegetable soup for dinner, he made her medium-rare steak.

When he said he was not a good swimmer, she rigged his apartment to dunk him in water at two in the morning.

When she said she loved the hot springs, he bribed the attendant to misdirect her to the men's pool.

X x X x X x X x X x

When he said he missed watching clouds, she paid for a genin team to paint his ceiling in pale blue.

When she said she missed the brilliant sunsets of Sunagakure, he bought an orange-red silk fan.

When he said he missed the intellectual thrill of playing shougi against a skilled opponent, she trained Gaara to take him on.

When she said she wished there was some other kunoichi as powerful as she was, he set up a grudge match between Tenten and her.

When he said his students were too troublesome, she would complete the lesson planning.

When she said her workload was too heavy, he would lay out the upcoming missions in detail.

When he said he was selected for ANBU, she made a little bowl of blessings in her bedroom.

When she said she was tasked to escort an amorous prince as his consort's decoy, he got into his very first drunken bar fight.

X x X x X x X x X x

It was all in the things they said.

That was how they knew they would survive each other.


	4. Conversations with Odd People

"You do know this is too sweet, don't you?"

"Shut up and eat, Nara."

"If I get diabetes from this, I'm blaming you."

"I'll pay for the insulin. Now eat."

X x X x X x X x X x

"I don't wear lace."

"And yet."

"Can't I have it in black, at least?"

"Emphatically no. Now stop being troublesome and try it on."

X x X x X x X x X x

"Aren't you underage? How can you get access to alcohol?"

"When… urp, 'scuse me… when you're out with the kazekage, no one's gonna stop you from buying any drink."

"You stink of liquor."

"But I'm not drunk. So – hic – call it a victory for me. The second victory of the night."

"Don't tell me. You got into a bar fight as well."

"So… what do I tell you?"

"Damn… you mean you did get into a bar fight?"

"Yeah."

"Damn. I can't believe I missed out."

X x X x X x X x X x

"When did this happen?"

"During our serious 'off' phase. Look, Nara, I can explain-"

"Save it. Don't even bother."

"Why are you in a snit about this?"

"Because these are photos of _my girlfriend_ in compromising positions!"

"I was young and stupid!"

"That's a real fine excuse!"

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, alright? And it's not an excuse, it was just… it was just a fling. It means nothing."

"Look. I just don't like to see you in those photos. It pisses me off."

"That was a long time ago."

"Doesn't change the fact that I love you."

"… you love me?"

X x X x X x X x X x


	5. Names

A/N: Idea from Jim Toomey's _Sherman's Lagoon_.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shikamaru and Neji sat under a tree.

Neji looked relaxed, but his nonstop twirling of a kunai was wearing on Shikamaru's nerves.

"Alright, Neji, what is it?"

"Tenten thinks I shouldn't call her 'dear' yet," said the Hyuuga jounin. "But I don't know what else to call her."

"Hmm." The Nara Chuunin quirked an eyebrow.

"What do you call Temari?"

"Bossmaniac, control freak, ball-and-chain, tyrant-extraordinaire, dictator…"

Neji cut in hastily. "I meant to her face."

"Those _are_ what I call her to her face."


	6. txt msgs

T: 'i don't know why we have to try this system out'

S: 'cos the kids will be using it in place of their written exam'

T: 'but it's stupid'

S: 'y do u say that?'

T: 'spell properly will you? it's depressing enough to have to go without capital letters'

S: 'yeah and it's hell on the fingers'

T: 'we don't want another naruto getting through the system now do we?'

S: 'i guess'

T: 'by the way, when are you coming over?'

S: 'missing me already?'

T: 'yeah right. you owe me a fight, remember?'

S: 'come on, that had been almost two years ago'

T: 'and yet'

S: 'woman, you are extremely irksome'

T: 'man, you nag'

S: 'shut up'

T: 'this is a text message, i ain't talking'

S: 'exasperated sigh'

T: 'heh heh heh'

S: 'i'll be there 2 wks from now'

T: 'see ya'


	7. It Doesn't Matter

He tied his ponytail low. "What do you think?" he asked.

"I think it looks better the old way," said Temari. "You look way older with that ponytail low."

Shikamaru shrugged. "Thought it'd be more compatible with you that way."

Temari scrunched up her face. "Kankuro at you for our age difference thing again? You know it doesn't matter. Not to me."

"Not to me either." He sat down and shook his hair out. "Still, I don't want your family to be, y'know, put in a difficult place by the council."

"Oh please." Temari looped her arms about his neck. "The last kage we had killed his wife and implanted a homicidal monster into his own child. You think _age difference_ is gonna be a sore topic with the council?"

"Riiiiight." Shikamaru didn't protest when she sat him down and tied his hair up again. "Silly of me to worry about something as minor as that. Especially since Kankuro keeps harping on it..."

Temari snickered and got into his lap. "Tell you what. We'll have dinner, and then we'll hang out at Kankuro's pad, and we'll show him just how much we don't care about the age difference."

Shikamaru smiled evilly. "I like that plan."


	8. Haiku

"_I walk by the sea,_

_The waves dislodging sand grains._

_You come to my mind."_

--

Temari read the terse note and raised her brows. "Huh?"

--

Shikamaru put down his kunai bag and picked up the phone. "H'lo."

--

"I do not get it."

"Which part don't you understand?"

"The entire poem."


	9. Problem Solving

She hated it when he tapped his pencil when he was thinking at the table.

Really, really, _really _hated it.

So she jumped at the chance to wrap all his pencils in thick black felt so they wouldn't make that irritating tapping noise.

There. Problem solved.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

He hated it when she gushed over new fan designs in her catalogs.

Really, really, _really _hated it.

So he made sure he had a ready set of stock compliments that were applicable to every new one she pointed out to him.

There. Problem solved.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

She hated it when he chose to turn down more visible roles in his career.

Really, really, _really_ hated it.

So she became his best advertiser, highlighting his stellar qualities to her brother and to the Hokage at every opportunity until they gave him a raise.

There. Problem solved.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

He hated it when she bossed him around.

Really, really, _really _hated it.

So he would sneak his shadow up on her whenever she began, then drag her over into his arms and kiss her until she forgot what she was nagging about.

There. Problem solved.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX


	10. Sounds

The other shinobi wondered if someone should tell the two bunnies inside the little room that they could be heard very clearly. It was one thing to make out in her office near the Kazekage's, but the moaning and grunting and thumping were becoming just a touch too explicit. But not even Gaara dared to walk in on two very passionate shinobi.

X x X x X x X x X x

He leaned his head back and tried not to scream. He was too manly to scream. But when she managed to locate that certain spot, he had to let out a shriek or risk his brain imploding. "Woman, that was-"

"You'll need to have your annual checkup," Temari cut her boyfriend off blithely. "I mean, just a foot reflexology massage shouldn't have you screaming like a kid."

Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. "Let's see how you take it then."

"Bring it on," challenged the blonde.

X x X x X x X x X x

The Suna brothers and their shinobi guests from Konoha sat in the ante room, trying to make small talk when the piercing cry shot out of the office down the corridor.

"So, who's up for some fruit juice?" asked Kankuro. "And perhaps some therapy?"

Naruto, Shino, Kiba, Hinata, Sakura and Gaara all raised a hand.


	11. Navigation

He shook mud off his shoes, trying not to sigh with irritation. At least they were on dry ground, and in a grove which was reasonably sheltered. If he had been in a better frame of mind, he might have appreciated the rugged beauty of their environment and the soon-to-be-setting sun. Instead he just asked lazily, "How did you pass your navigation proficiency test anyway?"

"I passed it with the highest marks of my class, alright? And no, the examiner didn't give a damn who I was." She huffed heavily, the spiked ends of her ponytails bouncing. The steep path they just took hadn't improved her temper. "It's just that... I took it in the rock outcrops, not in a dense jungle."

"Dense? This isn't a hair on the forests behind my family estate!" he snapped. Annoyed, he snatched the map out of her hands and studied it. "Woman, we are not even on the right track. This is the black path for expert hikers. We're supposed to be on the blue, for intermediate."

"You're the one who wanted a challenge!"

"You're the one who said women can read maps."

She narrowed her eyes, tan skin flushing. "You are so gonna pay for that remark."

He raised a brow and smirked. "Like you can be any more troublesome than you are now."

As she tackled him and wrestled him to the ground, neither admitted that they liked being lost, with only the other for company.

Anything to get them away from paperwork and to grab some private time together was good, thought Temari afterwards as she snuggled against Shikamaru's shoulder – even if she had to play a dumb blonde.


	12. Listening Skills

**A/N: T for suggestiveness, close to M rating. True drabble! Yay Me!**

* * *

"I lost my watch."

"Mm-hmm."

"You're washing dishes tomorrow."

"Mm-hmm."

"I want to get laid now."

"Mm-hmm."

"…"

"Mm-hmm."

"Are you even listening?"

"You lost your watch; I'm washing the dishes tomorrow; and you want to get laid now." Temari flicked off the television program. "I'll get you a new watch, –I'll wash if you cook, and if you don't get naked in the next fifteen seconds I'll let you handle your own libido."


	13. Toffee

**Prompt from ihatewriting: Kakashi's hounds**

**A/N: Again, another few sentences snatched from two precious hours of a break. I'm not really good with prompts, so please send me some to hone my skills.**

* * *

Breathlessly and in fear for his life, Shikamaru sprinted to Kakashi. "Kakashi-san," panted Shikamaru, "lend me Pakkun."

"Why?" asked the masked shinobi.

"It's happened again."

Kakashi raised his visible brow. "You have everything else prepared?"

"Yeah. Come on, Kakashi-san, I'm gonna die!!"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Temari opened her fan. "You were two hours late! ON OUR ANNIVERSARY!"

"Wait!" Shikamaru prepared to duck in case she didn't. "Shall we talk inside? Not here, everyone can see us!"

Temari's eyes narrowed and she stomped into the flat. Shikamaru heaved a sigh of relief.

He was going to keep his skin in one piece.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Later the next day, Shikamaru told Kakashi that he should sell tickets.

"There is nothing," said the shadow-nin happily, "nothing, quite as cheering as watching a pug eat caramel and toffee pudding. She laughed herself to tears."

"She forgave you?" Kakashi smiled. Pakkun had been quite satisfied with the sweet treat.

"She forgot entirely about it until much later, after I had apologized thoroughly."

"... thoroughly, huh." Even with his mask and forehead protector on, it was still possible to see Kakashi's leer.

"Eh heh." Shikamaru chuckled embarrassedly and scuttled off.


	14. Nauseaus

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Still not funny - I don't think I am a funny person at all.**

**Not mine, just to reiterate.**

* * *

"I feel nauseaus." Temari blinked half-heartedly.

Shikamaru looked over. "It's not morning sickness, is it?"

The blonde glared. "No."

"Then it's all good." The dark-haired shinobi returned to looking at clouds. "But then again, we haven't been doing anything to cause you morning sickness."

"That," said Temari, rolling to her side, "is an oversight we ought to correct ASAP."

"Mm-hmm."


	15. Shower

Shikamaru rolled his eyes as his phone rang again. For the fifth time. Someone just had to cut into his shower time.

"Eh, troublesome..." He wrapped a towel about himself and dashed out, trying to stop dripping all over his just-cleaned floor. He was far too lazy to clean it again a second time. He grabbed the wildly ringing phone. "Y'ello."

"_Who is she?_"

Shikamaru sighed. "Temari, I'm dripping wet and naked, wrapped only in a flimsy towel, and you're asking me a question to which I have no idea what you're talking about. What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"_...dripping... naked? Wait. Don't change the subject! Who's that girl in Codebreaking?_"

"Temari." Shikamaru ran through the argument in his head, and then sighed. "You know what, I have no earthly idea who you're referring to, and I want to get back to my shower, so call in ten minutes and I'll let you grill me all you want. In the meantime I just want to know..."

"_... what?_"

"Did you just drool over my naked, wet body?"


	16. Surrender

"If he dies, it's all my fault," said Shikamaru as they waited outside the operating theater.

Temari crossed her legs. "We've had this conversation before."

"Back then I wasn't strong enough," said Shikamaru. "Now... I'm still not strong enough."

She got up and sat beside him. "He'll get through it."

Shikamaru took her hand in his cold ones. "What if he doesn't? I'd have failed – again."

"It's not on you, Nara Shikamaru, to save everyone." Temari gripped Shikamaru's hand. "He'll make it fine, trust me. As if the son of Asuma and Kurenai would give in so easily."

Shikamaru buried his face in his hands. "He shouldn't even have been in the battle, Temari, he was supposed to have gone to the shelter."

"Again, a Sarutobi. It was in his nature to protect that which he loved – and he loved his village. Nara, he will be fine," reassured Temari, although she was almost as upset as he was when they found little Asuma.

Shikamaru shook her off and stood up. "If he dies, I'm done."

"Nara-"

"I mean it,Temari. I'm sick of this shit."

The blonde jounin watched him go, helpless and forlorn. She knew he meant it this time and, for the moment, she had nothing she could say to dissuade him.


	17. A Different Life

Shikamaru pushed the door open and the doorbell jangled merrily. "I'm here for the textbooks," he called out, unable to see anyone. "Hello?"

The shopkeeper peered out from behind the stacks. "Shikamaru-kun! The texts are on the table in the back."

"I brought lunch," he said, raising the bag he held in his left hand. "Naruto – I mean the Hokage – insisted that you eat more veggies, so it's almost entirely vegetarian."

"He's just mimicking what I told him years ago," said Hatake Kakashi. He wiped a hand over his brow. "Tell the little idiot thanks."

Shikamaru bagged the textbooks for his kids. Temari had been after him to get these for the past month, and should he be remiss today, there would be an interesting headline tomorrow. _Nara Shikamaru Dead: Frying Pan Suspected Murder Weapon. _

Kakashi set out the dishes and took only enough for himself, putting the rest aside for Iruka. The teacher would arrive soon for his own lunch break.

Done with the books, Shikamaru sat at the table too. "I'm free tomorrow evening," he told Kakashi. "Game for a rematch?"

"You know you'll lose," chuckled Kakashi. "I'll be there."

The new head of the Nara clan smiled at his friend and teacher. "Y'know, even after so many years, I still can't reconcile this unmasked face with your name."

"Yeah, I get that a lot." Kakashi slurped up the soup. "Reminds me – freshen the traps and protective spells, would you? Temari forgot to do so the last time she was here."

"She was here and didn't get the textbooks?" Shikamaru narrowed his eyes. "That troublesome woman..."

"She probably found them too heavy and bulky," supplied Kakashi with his trademark smile. At Shikamaru's sigh of affectionate exasperation, Kakashi laughed. "What can you do? You married a smart one, remember?"

* * *

**A/N: I'm not reading Naruto any more unless Kakashi is alive. Even if he was only a civilian. Or blind. Whatever.  
Kakashi is NOT DEAD. HE IS NOT DEAD. (puts hands over eyes and ears to block out all baseless rumors otherwise)  
HE MUST LIVE! HE MUSTN'T DIE!! KAKASHI LIVES FOREVER!!!  
(sends flying howler monkeys to Kishimoto Masashi)  
HATAKE KAKASHI FOR PRESIDENT OF THE WOR- (abruptly cut off)**

* * *

***The producers apologize for the sudden bout of incoherent ranting. Please be assured that after some time and heavy medication the little pink organ known as PQ's brain will continue to function as per, uh, normal. We now return you to your regularly scheduled reviewing of a fic.***


	18. Leader

**A/N: Small kind-of spoiler thingy for recently-concluded arc.**

* * *

Pain really did a number on the village. Nara Shikamaru hobbled about on his crutches as he directed his genin team on the arranging of stacks for the huge village library. Someone knocked on the door and the jounin turned around.

Temari of the Sand Village wiggled her fingers. "My brother sent me. Again."

"I'm glad of that," Shikamaru answered with a smile. Then, much to Temari's surprise, Shikamaru hobbled over and gave her a one-armed hug.

The three young genin looked at her, and then back at their team captain, and giggled.

"Wataru, Chikashi, Junna. The three of you will have this place prepared by seven tonight." Shikamaru didn't even bother to look over at his team, but Temari chuckled.

Junna's pretty eyes widened incredulously. "But, Shikamaru-sensei, it's already four-thirty and we still have all the stacks!"

"Six-thirty."

"Sensei!" protested Chikashi, his dark face reddening further.

"Six."

Wataru shushed his teammates and led the way to the stacks. He wanted to go home tonight.


	19. Back Out

Temari shifted from foot to foot. "Hey."

"Hey," said Shikamaru, never looking up from his work. Kakashi had sent seventeen letters about the new situation, and he was on the sixth.

"I was told by Ino about... about this," Temari said haltingly. "And I, uh... I just wanted to say that..."

Shikamaru continued working. "You can back out if you want."

"Back out?"

He wrote in his journal and folded the letter away. "I'm crippled. I understand if you wish to leave me."

She stepped forward.

He looked up.

She slapped him. The mark reddened immediately.

He smiled again, this time with content gratitude, and took her hand. "Thanks."

"Never tell me to back out again," she whispered. "Or I'll kick your ass into a brand new shape."

"You like it fine the shape it's in."

* * *

**A/N: A bit from my own life which I thought were remarkably ShikaTema in its tone. It's fine, my fiance was just trying to be strong; Temari's words were my own, and that WAS his retort.**


	20. Understanding

**A/N: It's been incredibly long since I wrote anything for them, but there's been so little of them that I wasn't inspired. Hope you enjoy this little clip!**

* * *

They stand together, in the heavy downpour, and she closes her eyes. Pretends that the wetness on her cheeks come from the skies. Pretends that it does not matter.

It broke her heart when she committed the act, but she will never show how much it has affected her.

He knows it hurt her – it always will – yet he also knows that they have had no say in the matter.

He wishes, sometimes, that he is better with people, like Kiba or Ino. Instead, he places a hand on her shoulder and squeezes when she stares at the spot again.

She is glad he does not say he understands. She knows he can't lie well, despite his intelligence, and he will not say he understands when he doesn't.

But there are some things she knows that they do understand together.

She knows that they stand together, in the rain, in the cold, and he has her, and she has him.

That they both understand what it means to be shinobi.

That they both understand that one day, things will become better.

That if there is a need – like with her brother gone berserk again, with no hope of recovery – if there is ever a need, she will be the one to kill him, and he will be the one to end her.

No one else.

That is shinobi.

But for now, they stand together.


End file.
